Listing Platform Aims to Save Time and Money

For brokers, it eliminates the need to store the same listing data in different formats. And standardization could save time and money.

(Boonton, NJ, July 19, 2016) —
In June, five multiple listing services and 13 real
estate companies began testing UpstreamRE, a listing
system that promises to achieve two ambitious goals —
to revolutionize property data, and to mute disputes
between brokers and Zillow.

The National Association of Realtors has invested $6
million in Upstream, and the initiative so far has been
overseen by a coalition that includes NAR, HomeServices
of America, and Leading Real Estate Companies of the
World, among other organizations.

The ultimate goal is that all of the nation’s
700-plus MLSs will be on the system. Craig Cheatham,
interim CEO of Upstream, likens the project to the
construction of the interstate highway system — and
he hopes the work goes smoothly enough to attract
little notice. "Upstream is trying to be behind the
scenes, something you don’t really notice," he
says.

Just as interstates standardized travel for vehicles,
Upstream hopes to create just one format nationwide,
instead of hundreds of databases and data layouts.

For brokers, Upstream, eliminates the need to store the
same listing data in different formats. And
standardization could save time and money.